Roast Duck vs Braised Duck

Even now at our age, we silbings will be amused, whenever our mother asks, "Shall we have roast duck or braised duck?"

Roast Duck on the menu in a restaurant would always be a welcome dish for family and friends. But in most homes , it would be a different matter. Too complicated to roast a duck if we don't have the equipment.

In fact, my father learned from  his Cantonese friend how to roast ducks  in  the 50's. Father spoke Cantonese fairly well. Roasting a duck with simple equipment was quite elaborate as we observed the way he instructed my mother when he decided to roast one. As it was too tedious and we did not have a diesel drum, my mother never did make a second one. And we were told later in life that roasting ducks or geese was really a Cantonese man thing. I have never roasted a duck myself, Cantonese style.

Then my father bought a second hand New World Oven  he roasted a few chickens on trial basis.

I baked our first cakes, having been taught by Miss Ida Mamora in Form One. I made some rock cakes which were more rocks than cakes. My mother did not like to eat anything that was too hard.

My butter cakes were better. When my younger sister was older she made really good cakes. Today she is still the best cake maker in our family.

An oven was indeed a novelty in those days, especially an imported one.

My father loved roast ducks and occasionally he would buy some from Lok Huong to cheer my mother up.

But when my mother cooked ducks she would always prepare Lu Ark (Braised Duck), Foochow style, for my father. After all we raised our own ducks. Furthermore, it would be easier to eat as the flesh would be easily torn by chopsticks. That would be the kind of texture she would love.

There was a reason why she preferred braised ducks.

My mother lost most of her teeth by the time she was 30 because during the Japanese Occupation she did not have good dental care and after having 7 children she lost seven more. One for each child. In those days whenever an adult had a tooth ache, the dentist, would just extract the bad tooth and won't try to save it. It was a simple move.

My father  took her to Kuching to see Dr. Chai so that she could have all her front teeth and two molars removed (to cure her headaches) and fitted her with a complete set of dentures, as per advice by Dr. Chai.

After the removal of the last of her natural teeth she never had a single head ache again. But she was happy she could still eat some meat.

I am glad she can still eat good  tender roast duck (from Imperial Duck) in Kuching at age 94.